Friendships symptoms and conditions

You have no idea how happy I was when I found this site. I went through a TERRIBLE experience with NuvaRing for almost four months. And for me, it progressively got worse...which made it harder to pinpoint what was going on with me.

In June, I went to my annual checkup and just asked my doc what my other options were regarding birth control. There was nothing really wrong with the current one I was on...I just was interested in hearing what else was out there. He mentioned the NuvaRing and I was intrigued by the convenience of it so I decided to give it a shot.

Everything seemed fine at first. But it was hard to tell because I was going through some changes in my life and had a sinus infection the first week...so that overshadowed anything I may have normally noticed in a switch. So, I was loving the convenience of not having to worry about a pill each day and just going about my business.

As I mentioned, I was going through some changes and had a lot on my mind, but then I started to notice how I would dwell on the negative things. And by dwell, I mean they were starting to consume me. It was all I could think about. I started questioning my friendships and my marriage...and I have WONDERFUL friends and an AMAZING husband...the thought of this now is absurd to me.

I found myself getting upset at the drop of a hat. I was extremely sensitive to anything slightly off that my husband would say. Toward the end of this, I was crying pretty much every day. And I kept saying, "I don't know what's wrong with me...I'm trying to get over this, but I don't know what's wrong." Which caused me to be even more confused and contributed to more sadness.

I am a person who loves working out. Many days, I was so tired and unmotivated...all I wanted to do was lay around and watch TV. I also now realize that the reason I was feeling short of breath and anxious was because of the ring. One thing that really scares me...there was a point where my hand felt asleep/numb and it lasted for two full days. After reading other posts, I'm thinking it might have all been related. Truly scary. I also experienced the dryness and itching as well. Horrible.

I really feel sorry for anyone who has had this type of experience. To question your relationships, to put the people you love most through this...it was a really sad time for me. I feel for any of you that have had to deal with this.

For reference: I was on Ortho Tri Cyclen for probably 6-7 years, and then Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo for the few years before the ring. I really had no issues with either. I thought this was supposed to have even lower hormone levels, so I thought it would be fine. Not the case.

Please pay attention and if you experience symptoms like many reported on this site, take it out! I took it out before bed, once I realized it might be the problem...and I felt way better even the next morning. It's now been a week and I haven't cried since. :) Good sign. I feel like myself again.

Good luck to you, ladies. :)

Thank you all for sharing your feedback here. Reading this has come as a true relief. I've had the ring almost 2 weeks now, my gyn gave me one after i mentioned i was interested in other options besides the pill. I started the pill almost 3 years ago because my period cramps were so bad. I always use a condom and use the pill as backup in case theres an accident. I hated having to remember it, so she popped in a ring before i could really say OK I GUESS. I was not sold on it because i knew there were different side effects, but she insisted that it was "just like the pill".

Lies.

Today almost broke down crying for no reason in front of all my coworkers. I have been really depressed, to the point where its affecting my work and friendships and i can barely do anything. The first week of the ring i was so tired, i took 3 hour naps in the middle of the day...

I am 24, exercise regularly and take very good care of myself, and from the first day of having the ring i was weary. I have been having so much discharge that i have to wear a liner, the discharge has an odor that's totally embarrassing (i told my gyn and she said there was no way it was the ring, probably an infection, just see if it goes away). I've never ever had a yeast infection...though I bet I will now that I have read everyone elses statements.

I feel disgusting, im so bloated i look pregnant, all i want to do is eat, i have no motivation to exercise which is a real problem as i do races and marathons. I know I have gained weight....weight that I have worked very hard all summer to get rid of...that i have gained in not even 2 weeks...

i have absolutely ZERO sex drive. I never thought I would care about that last one, but I feel like i have become a passionless robot from Brave New World or something. It SUCKS. nothing turns me on. I thought it was my last boyfriend that was the problem, but I'm dating again, and I have no desire. its becoming really sad for me.

i always had a little acne break out on my chin, but i have had a bunch of breakouts nonstop.

thats it in a nutshell. i already told my gyn i want to go back to the pill, because of the discharge alone being enough of a nuisance. she said wait and try it a while. I'm talking to her in the next couple days and insisting a switch back to the pill before i am due for another ring. i cant wait to get the thing out. i don't really think its a good idea to have a plastic thingy shoved up in there anyways.

i wish we didn't have to get all hopped up on hormones that throw our bodies off so much.... :( i hate it.

I have been Ambien for about 3 years. I finally get a good nights sleep. I look forward to the little white pill which gives me rest. Recently, much to my dismay I have been experiencing something that really troubles me. I have to assume it is Ambien because nothing else has changed with me. I have become very paranoid with my friends. I don;t know how else to explain it. Other than that and that is huge, because I am constantly looking over my shoulder for something I have done, I am beginning to trust no one. Is anyone else experiencing any of this? I am typically a friendly easy going person with a lot of friends but in the past year things have changed. I've accused friends of things and have lost a lot of their friendships. I can't afford to lose anymore no matter how nice I might be,(or I think I am) I am beginning to question myself. Am I going nuts or is it possibly the little pill that gets me through the night. Can anyone help me with this dilemma, I can't afford to lose any more friends or loved ones. Help! I'm going to try to go off my little pill that brings peace to my life but I have to know if I'm going crazy or is it the medication. This is my last night to use it I think.
Worried

If you like yourself, DO NOT choose this form of birth control!!!!!! I experienced several side effects almost immediately within my first cycle of this "should be outlawed" drug including a cyst on my ovary that burst (PAINFUL!!!!!), very hormonal PMS and periods (like going through puberty again), heavy bleeding and clotting, swelling like I experienced after delivering my children - yes, even sitting was uncomfortable, painful intercourse, muscle aches, and cramping like afterbirth. Most of these symptoms subsided after I did the math and freed myself of this health hazard. All I have described sound hormone related and logical but wait, there is more . . . while on the NuvaRing, I also developed a tumor in my leg that attached to my bone and required surgery. I was blessed that it was benign but at first was told it was malignant by bone tumor specialists from three leading Manhattan Hospitals! My children were 3 and 1 at the time so you can imagine how I felt! Also, a condition that has not gone away after 1 year and 4 months of no more NuvaRing is chronic sinus problems. These sinus problems first developed when I made the mistake of using this venomous drug. I myself thought there could be no correlation until I went on line and read that other women suffered with sinus issues after using the NuvaRing. I have developed sinusitis that I've had no luck in treating holistically and these severe infections have been resilient to most antibiotics. I've finally faced this sinus issue and have scheduled a CT scan and ENT appointment for next week so I hope I can get to the root of the problem as I am sick of feeling sick! By the way, I'm extremely fit, a very healthy eater, and was in GREAT health before use of the NuvaRing! I'm writing this because I would not wish my experience on anyone and wish I had read comments like this PRIOR to making this poor decision. I so dislike this drug that I have to turn-off the TV when the commercial comes on. Again if you like yourself, DO NOT use the NuvaRing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had the mirena inserted in June 2007. It came highly recommended from a sexual health clinic, and they were keen for me to use it even though I have not had children. It was extremely painful during the first few months and I had a lot of spotting. As time progressed I became very depressed, irritable, I had frequent headaches, total loss of libido, nausea, some pain during intercourse and it has really taken a toll on my relationship with my boyfriend as well as other friendships. After doing some research online (and thank you to this website in particular) I had it removed 4 weeks ago. I feel a little better, but I think it will be a while before I feel myself again. In these last few weeks I have experienced dizziness, nausea, severe headaches and strong depression. I wish I had never had it inserted. Thank you to all the women who shared their stories and helped to convince me to get it removed. - Louise, 26

Let me just say that like so many other women on this site I have been stressing over the predicament that Mirena has put us in. Yes, I was warned about having not had children that I am not a good candidate for it but I am in my early twenties and don't want children any time soon and I had been on Depo shots for as long as my Dr. would let me, so don't judge. The fact of the matter is that for the past two years since the insertion I have wondered what the hell is wrong with me!!! I have been extremely moody, depressed, and have had several strange symptoms including headaches, acne, weight gain, and the overall feeling of someone in the nineties instead of being 22. I have never been a lazy person or someone prone to acne. I have been to the doctor several times and she keeps saying it's not Mirena; I'm not convinced!!! I have not had a menstrual cycle since I started depo five years ago, you would think I would be a happy person but I'm not. I don't know what to do, I'm afraid to take it out and be wrong about it and get pregnant. But on the other hand I'm severely depressed about the weight gain and the more and more I exercise and diet doesn't matter. I have gained over 20 pounds and gone up 2 dress sizes, because of this I don't feel like having sex because I'm tired or I don't feel sexy. My marriage is suffering from my mood swings, lack of libido, and not wanting to do fun things people my age do. I've lost several friendships by not wanting to leave the house, I feel like it's starting to take over my entire life. I thought it was just me having these problems but the more I read other peoples posts the more I feel like I'm not alone. You don't have to be forty and have 3 kids to know what it feels like to have symptoms like this and be told over and over it's just in your head. Thanks to every one who wrote on this web site, it's comforting to know you're not the only one having problems. When I get it removed I will post again with how it has changed.

In September of 2007 my then 13 year old daughter was put on Singular for mild asthma. At the time she was a straight A student, vice president of our school and a popular girl who's guidance counselor described as "the glue of her grade" because she was so well liked. In November she told me that she was struggling with advanced Latin and Science. She asked to drop down to on grade Latin so we did. In December her science teacher notified us that she had a C average. She told me that she thought she had ADD/ADHD and she couldn't keep up. At the same time she was having a lot of problems with friends at school and we just attributed it to being 14. 3 weeks ago we discovered that she is significantly behind in English and it was then that she told me that she is been having horrific night mares. She said that they usually involve someone killing her or her killing herself. She said that they were so graphic that she couldn't repeat it out loud. She also said that she would feel waves of anxiety that would come over her at school and she would act "witchy" to the kids in her class for no real reason. She said that sometimes when she is trying to do her homework she will read the same passage for 2 hours and still have no idea what it's about. She also said that the suicidal thoughts from her sleep happened during they day and that she had thoughts of her harming herself. Fortunately her pulminologist told us that this may be caused by singular and we immediately took her off of it which was 2 weeks ago. She has only had 1 "bad dream" not even a nightmare since. She had one anxiety attack 3 days after she was off it and she describes her moods as the "cloud lifting....slowly". Now, we have to pick up the pieces. Her grades have suffered, her friendships have suffered and most of all her self esteem is very low. I'm grateful that we found out the cause but I feel as if my daughter lost a year of her life and I worry that because Merck won't admit there are side effects we can't find out how long it remains in their system. Is anyone else concerned about the long term affect and has anyone pursued a class action suit to try to get this drug tested properly?

I just started taking Yasmin last month. Throughout the month I couldn't realise why I wasn't my self at all. I was extremely anti-social, which is extremely out of my character. I was waking up feeling depressed not even wanting to get out of bed. I would cry at the drop of a hat! I was in the grocery store getting some vitaman B12, which just so you know does help with your mood and temprorarily was the only thing that would. I would also CONSTANTLY feel hungry, to the point of eating double the amount I regularly could. In the past month I have gained about 5 pounds, and I am very active.
This past week I haven't been taking them because I have been on my period, and I notice I actually wake up in a good mood, and feel so much happier. My appetite is back to normal after a few days, i guess cause I wasnt on the pill that long. I'm defintly going to try something else because I just didn't feel my self at all. What you guys are describing is exactly how I would feel... and I was afraid it would cause problems between friendships, and my relationship with my boyfriend. Defintly don't recommend this pill at all.

I very recently started having something like anxiety attacks, I was doing things that were totally out of character for me (mood swings, anger, saying mean things for no reason, ending valuable friendships, getting badly depressed for no reason, withdrawing from my usual activities, not keeping up with things as I normally do, isolating from people, finding that I was beginning to hate the entire human race though I have always loved people and my entire career was devoted to working with people, being forgetful though I usually am not, etc.) and I became very concerned that something had happened. I kept thinking, “This is not like me. I am not myself. Its totally out of character for me to neglect things like this or to do some of the things I am doing. Something has gone wrong.” I started wondering if I was becoming senile though I’ve never seen that happen with any family member, sometimes wondered if maybe I was developing a brain tumor. I had pulled my health plan brochure and looked at mental health benefits available to me. Vytorin apparently caused much of the mental and emotional issues that I was experiencing so stopped taking it. I stopped taking it just a couple of days ago but am already finding all of the mental and emotional problems I was experiencing have gone away.

I've been on Yasmin for about 8 months. After another totally neurotic night of fighting with my boyfriend and waking up this morning totally depressed, lying in bed crying for over an hour on a Saturday morning, I figured it was time to google Yasmin and read up on side effects.

What a relief to know I'm not crazy! Since I started Yasmin in the fall, I've lost all desire to do anything productive that used to bring me joy, like gardening, reading, etc. I have HUGE anxiety issues right now that seem to cause completely irrational behavior. I snap at people and often want to do nothing but lie in bed with the covers over my head. I can't tell you how many times in the last month I've felt like I hate everyone. This is NOT me.

Also, my breasts swelled immediately upon taking this pill, which I actually like! So at first I thought Yasmin was great. I do get a lot of bloating and back pain right before my period - and fatigue, depression, anxiety and loss of sex drive. Now that I'm reading up on it, I don't Yasmin is for me - although it may be great for somebody else.

Hello All - I have been on Paxil for about 3 years now. I'm a 31 year old male who suffered awful for years before Paxil with anger issues, constant depression, trouble sitting still & rushing through everything, not being able to feel "normal" - I had constant stomach aches, afraid of everything ect.

I have to say I have not one complcation from using Paxil - No issue with sex drive - no sweats, i sleep great, work at a normal pace, can hold friendships and foucus on everthing, small amount of weight gain but i"m very active and have a ton of energy so I stay in shape. I really cant find anything i dislike about taking Paxil, the other thing i find is that I'm in a constant state of ---------it's hard to explain, the line i typed is sorta how i feel, just even keeled, nothing gets me really excited much, and i dont get mad either - It's all just a feeling of ------ haha - anyone feel like that too? I tend to find myself being alone, and i have a big social life, but sometimes i rather be left alone.
Sometimes i feel like if i never talked to anyone, had a relationship, friends ect i would not even careless - It's normal to cry and get excited and mad and that's the only part that I dont enjoy, otherwise life is awsome but I guess it could be alot worse!!! and trust me it was!

We made an entry regarding our then 3 1/2 year old son in Oct, then Dec of last year. It has been approximately 5 months since we removed our son from the use of singulair, after a year of use. He now stammers a bit, as opposed to severe stuttering, and his aggressive behavior is greatly diminished, though he does still have episodes, both noted in particular when he is going through or immediately following growth spurts. I begin to feel that we may never totally regain our little guy as far as his serenity is concerned, but the differences between last fall when we removed him from his medication and now are remarkable. What has totally returned is his ability to concentrate. Any excess energy is now easily channeled into dancing, jumping, wrestling, and playing music. I Thank God that in the last couple of months, he has once again expressed interests on his own accord in regards to wanting to develop friendships and enjoying the playtimes he experiences with other children.
Is there any physician that would be able to state how long singulair remains in the tissues? My concern is in regards to the occassional outbursts of anger or sudden depression. I will be seeing his doctor this month for his annual exam and will be discussing the symptoms I still observe.

I NO LONGER FEEL INSANE! Reading what a lot of you wrote made me feel so much better. I want to start by thanking you for taking the time out to post your comments because it's important to know that you aren't alone in feeling this way due to a medication.
I started on Yasmin when I was 21 and for about two years I never even realized what this pill was doing to my body and my life. Initially, it worked out well. After the first six months I was on it, all I wanted to do was sleep. I would avoid my friends and family almost all the time because I was so irritable and would cry often for no reason. I got yeast infections every few months and horrendous stomach pains which led me to believe I had a serious health problem. I was at the doctor every week for almost two months not knowing what was wrong with me. This was not me at all. I had always been an energetic, out-going person that rarely got sick. The week before my period, I would become extremely emotional. Once even to the point where I felt suicidal. I was freaking out, seeing different therapists and taking various anti-depressants. It was quite frightening, and no one could figure out what was wrong with me. My relationship with my boyfriend of six years was constantly on edge during this time. I would get angry or depressed for no apparent reason and he would never know what was causing it. I would constantly doubt him and the relationship. I was paranoid about situations in my life to the point where I could no longer focus on the important things or the big picture. The dramatic mood swings eventually took a serious toll on the relationship as well as some of my friendships. I finally switched gynecologists because I was beginning to question the one I was going to at the time. I am so glad I did! My new GYN immediately took me off of Yasmin. I have been off of Yasmin for three months and I feel so much more stable and energetic. I absolutely DO NOT recommend this pill unless you enjoy feeling like a lunatic.